If you’ve been exposed to someone with COVID-19 and think you may be infected, the free testing partnership Go Get Tested has added three days in September when you can schedule an appointment.
Set for 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. on September 14, 15 and 16, 2020, the drive-through testing event will be conducted at the parking lot of First Baptist Church in Waxahachie. [map]
The state-sponsored testing event requires booking in advance on its website. There, you can choose what location you wish to drive to and book the next available time for the totally in-car procedure. Results from the test will be texted to your mobile phone number within 48 hours.
The cost of the test is covered by the state and Federal funds, and because appointments are limited, anyone considering the test is asked by testing coordinators to do so only if they feel that there’s a reasonable suspicion that they’ve contracted the virus or if they have symptoms that may indicate that they are infected.
Unlike the nasal swab tests, the procedure at the local testing dates is an oral swab, so patients are instructed not to eat, drink or brush their teeth within 30 minutes before the test.
The test is free of charge for both the insured and uninsured. Testing for those without insurance is covered by the CARES Act, a bipartisan Federal bill that was made effective last spring.
To qualify for testing, you must be 18 years old or older, able to drive or be driven to the testing location and willing to sign consent paperwork to be tested.
Go Get Tested is a platform built to enable access to COVID-19 testing for everyone. Organizers have worked with the State of Texas to deliver a mobile testing capability across the entire state free of charge for anyone needing a test, with the goal of enabling economies to reopen safely.
